A spokesperson for the Galway peace group, Galway Alliance Against War, said "this revelation raises once more serious doubts over Washington's assurances that no illegal activity is being conducted by the US military in Shannon airport. There is only one way that illegal activity by the US military can be prevented - whether it's the transfer of the weapons of war or prisoners of war - and that is to stop allowing the US Air Force permission to use Shannon airport or Irish airspace."

According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung the US military base in Rhineland-Palatinate, Ramstein, is a temporary transfer point for arms deliveries to "Syrian rebels". As the Federal Government has not approved any arms transports of this type since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the US have violated German law, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported today, Wednesday.

The Federal Government stated that it had no knowledge of such transfers. According to the newspaper, private services linked to the US military have been buying weapons and ammunition for hundreds of millions of dollars in Eastern Europe since 2013 to support various militias in Syria. One of the trans-shipment points was Ramstein. Under the legislation dealing with the control of weapons of war permission must be obtained to transport such weaponry through German territory.